Newspaper endorsements

To the Editor:

I am strongly against a newspaper endorsing political candidates. This policy reeks of the same underlying premise in the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision from which developed the multimillion-dollar super PACs. The Supreme Court most likely did not foresee that its decision would lead to the creation of these huge money-backed groups of silent contributors sponsoring candidates for their special interests.

Whoever said the Northwest Herald, or any newspaper for that matter, can endorse a political candidate for all of its members? Who is speaking? The owners of the newspaper? The editorial staff? The production staff? The newspaper carriers? The subscribers? I have no problem with individual editorial commenters such as Cal Thomas who, while I often disagree, is willing to stand behind his statements. Your presidential endorsement on Oct. 21 had no such authorship.

Rather than political-leaning publications, I look for broad, factual reporting that allows the readership to individually decide who he or she endorses.

Dr. Mackie Snebold

McHenry

Note to readers: Our political endorsements, like all of the Our View editorials that appear on this page, are the views of the Northwest Herald’s Editorial Board. Board members’ names are listed on the bottom left of this page daily.